The Freak speaks: Moss says he relishes role as leader, elder statesman

Randy Moss hit all the right notes in his meeting with the media today.

In fact, at one point, the legendary 35-year-old wide receiver was downright presidential as he talked about his role of elder statesmen on a team dotted with young-pup wideouts: Ask not what your NFL can do for you …

“I want to know what I can do to make the NFL better,” Moss said. “And if that’s coming out here, teaching the young guys and showing my professionalism and being a leader on and off the field, that’s what I want to do.

“If we get that type of mindset it would make it a better league. The league has blessed me and my family and I’m very fortunate to be in the position that I’m in. Like I said, I like what I can do for the league, not what the league can do for me.”

Moss was loose, polished and impressive during his 12-minute media session, which started with him striding to the podium and looking out at reporters: ‘Let’s go,” he said. “Y’all got a few questions? Fire away.”

Moss, who hadn’t spoken to the media since he was signed to a one-year deal on March 12, was hailed by teammates and coaches during the offseason as a hard-working, high-character, model teammate who sits at the front of the room in offensive meetings and generously dispenses advice.

Today, Moss said he embraced the role of elder statesman, saying the younger players gave him a pep in his step, and repeatedly invoked his passion for the game, twice noting he’s played football since he was 6. Moss was cryptic about the reasons for his one-year “retirement” last year, saying he’d divulge the details in a book that will come out “10 to 15 years from now.”

“I’ve never really been an individual … I’m not about breaking records, they come and go,” Moss said. “I just love the game of football. I love being in the locker room, I love being around the guys. These guys are young, they’ve very enthusiastic. I don’t really feel my age being around these guys. They love to have fun.”

Moss went on to hail the 49ers’ charity work – he attended the team’s annual fund-raising Pasta Bowl on Thursday night – and said a motto throughout his career was “giving back and showing kids a better way.”

Of course, even if Moss is indeed a model teammate and citizen, the question remains: Can he still play?

In 2010, he cycled through three teams and finished with a forgettable stat line: 28 catches, 393 yards, 5 TDs.

Moss said he’d let reporters judge if he could recapture his Hall-of-Fame form.

“I don’t really feel 35,” Moss said. “So if you’re asking me is my level of play going to be up or down — I don’t really know. I look to seeing what’s going to happen, though.”

It had been widely reported that Jim Harbaugh told Rich Gannon that Moss ended offseason workouts as the 49ers’ best wide receiver (Gannon, on SiriusXM NFL Radio, relayed a conversation he had Harbaugh).

Today, Harbaugh said Moss shared that title with four other wideouts – Michael Crabtree, Mario Manningham, Kyle Williams and Ted Ginn.

“The way that was reported was misunderstood,” Harbaugh said. “What I said – and I remember the conversation vividly, obviously – I was describing Randy having the fastest time on specific drill on a specific day of the offseason OTAs. What we have here on this team, we have five guys that are No. 1 receivers going into this camp.”

* The first practice of training camp begins at 2:30 p.m. Harbaugh said Colin Kaepernick would take the first snaps with the second-team offense.